


Rescue without a Thought

by The_Real_Lee



Category: The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wild
Genre: Cooking, Do You Remember Me?, F/M, Gen, Where's the Master Sword?, a pot lid, just for fun, no, speedrun
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-23
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-07 21:26:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,950
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26614444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/The_Real_Lee/pseuds/The_Real_Lee
Summary: He just woke up, what is he doing?
Relationships: Link/Zelda (Legend of Zelda)
Comments: 27
Kudos: 116





	1. The End

**Author's Note:**

> Youtube recommendations showed me a speedrun of BOTW, and I got an idea for a story.

How was he winning? She had seen everything, not that there was much to see. Link, the courageous fool, came directly to the castle. He barely had proper clothes on! He took down the four Blights that killed the other Champions like they were nothing. 

He was fighting the Calamity, and it hasn’t even touched him yet. NOTHING has. Did protecting her hamper his skill THAT much? Then she noticed something very important. She didn’t see the Master Sword. The Blade of Evil’s Bane. He came here without it. Was it possible to win without it? It shouldn’t be. Her sealing power and the Master Sword were both needed to properly seal Calamity Ganon. It shot a beam at… A pot lid. Link deflected it with a POT LID. It wasn’t the first time she saw him deflect a Guardian beam with a pot lid, but this was the Calamity.

It burst. He won, again. The Malice was seeping out of it as it writhed and shook. He did it, without the Blade of Evil’s Bane. With a Pot Lid.

Then she felt it. It wasn’t over. It was forming outside the castle. She dredged up her power, and warped Link to Hyrule fields, near his horse. 

“Ganon…” She needed to let him know what he was facing. “Ganon was born out of a dark past. He is a pure embodiment of the ancient evil that is reborn time and again. He has given up on reincarnation and assumed his pure, enraged form. If set free upon the world, the destruction will be unlike anything ever seen before.” She focused her light, he needed a proper weapon. “I entrust you with the Bow of Light, a powerful weapon in the face of evil. Link… You may not yet be at the point where you have fully recovered your power or all of your memories. But courage need not be remembered for it is clearly never forgotten.”

Link mounted his horse, and rode forward, grabbing the bow. He took a wide path around the Beast, preparing to loose an arrow. “That energy covering Ganon’s body is Malice. None of your attacks will get through as he now is. I will hold the Malice back as much as I can, but my power is waning. Attack any glowing points you see!” The last help she could give. She forced the Malice down, creating bright lights in the weakened darkness. Link near instantaneously shot Light Arrows into the openings.

Link rode and shot. It didn’t last long. It seemed that the Dark Beast Ganon was an easier fight. The Dark Beast collapsed, its eye opening on the top of its head. Link leapt from his horse, and loosed a Light Arrow into the eye. 

It was vulnerable. She could finally end this. She had been restraining it for so long. She released herself from her confines within the Beast. The Malice was weakened, she could feel it, and her light growing at the sight of her Champion. The Beast collapsed, shaking the ground. As she focused her power, Zelda released a pulse of light, testing her strength. The Beast shricked, the Calamity fleeing the form and returning to a miasmic cloud. It howled in the sky before coming back down. It was getting ready to strike. She waited as it approached, she only had one chance. It was ready to consume her.

Zelda lifted her arm, unleashing the sealing Light. A sphere of Light formed, consuming the Malice. She did it early, the Calamity was trying to escape. She spread her Light. Zelda expanded the Light, pushing more of the power out. She didn’t feel strain yet. Not like the past, not like 100 years ago. The Malice was fading, it was almost gone. She heard the Calamity scream, then it was silent. It was over. She pushed more Light just to be sure, then collapsed it, containing it, controlling it. It was tiny, sealing it away. 

It was finally over. They won. The Calamity was defeated. Some of the Light still permeated the air, and Zelda could feel Link moving through it. He was walking toward her. 

“I’ve been keeping watch over you, all this time. Why did you come straight to the Castle!?” Zelda turned to face him. Why did she love this idiot? He put himself in massive danger. “You did nothing to prepare! All of the Blights came together! You didn’t restore any of the Divine Beasts! What were you thinking!” Now that the fear was gone, now that she had no concern of Ganon or Malice, she was now able to think about how insanely reckless Link had behaved. He came for her

Link stared, silent with a look of shock on his face. Okay, maybe she could have said that better. “... uh, you said I must hurry?” 

How did they not get destroyed? “I… I apologize. I just thought… I just believed that you would find a way to defeat Ganon. I just didn’t expect that. For you to come for me so quickly. You don’t even have the Master Sword. You don’t even have a shield, you have a pot lid.” 

“...My other shield was broken?” 

Zelda felt a chill down her spine. Link was being far more talkative than normal. Did he not remember? He had to remember her, why else would he come so quickly, without preparing, if not because he cares for her? “Do you… Do you remember me?”

Link shook his head. “Sorry, I don’t remember anything. I just knew you needed help… So, I helped?” 

“You just came straight here for someone you didn’t know?” Zelda’s chest ached. He didn’t remember her, and he was so good that he came to save a stranger. 

“I did stop to help Mina and Mils, but other than that I went straight to you.”


	2. The Wetlands Stable

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been thinking about how to do this, if I'd switch perspectives or just stay on Zelda. Decided to stay on just Zelda.

Zelda was tired, hungry and sore. Link didn’t have a saddle. He fought the Calamity bareback. On a wild horse he hadn’t tamed. It made the journey very uncomfortable. There was a stable close by, hopefully they could get a bed and saddle. The trip to Kakariko would take time, Link didn’t know how to get there, and the Sheikah Slate didn’t have a full map. It only covered the Great Plateau. 

To put it simply, it made things difficult. For now, Zelda was hungry. They needed sleep, as the sun was setting. She leaned back into her Knight, his arms wrapped around her as he led the birdleless horse. She supposed it wasn’t fair to think of Link as “Her Knight” as he didn’t know who she was. 

“Hang on tight.” The horse started galloping, shaking Zelda out of her thoughts. 

A bokoblin was charging at a young woman, club in hand. Zelda leaned forward, holding fast to the wild horse. They were getting close, but the Bokoblin was readying his swing. They weren’t fast enough, she was going to watch her die. Zelda dredged up the light within with the thoughts of her Knight, bringing out the power of the Goddess Hylia. She needed to do this. 

Link leapt from the horse, flimsy Boko bow in hand, and shot three arrows in quick succession into the offending bokoblin’s head before he even hit the ground. Zelda stopped trying to bring up the light. It was already over. The horse passed the girl before stopping, as Zelda watched the bubbling Malice destroy the body of the bokoblin before fading away. 

Malice was concerning. It should all be gone. Link collected the remaining monster parts before helping the young woman to her feet. 

“Thank you for saving my hide!” 

“Of course.” Link sounded cheery as he said it, leading her to the horse and helping her on next to her. “I’ll lead you to the Stable.”

She looked a bit uncomfortable on the bareback horse, blushing as Link helped her on and led the horse. That forced a knot in her chest, as Link helped the stranger. She was a Princess, she could be cordial “Good evening, what's your name?” 

“Oh! Hello, Leekah.” She seemed a bit disappointed as she noticed the Princess. “And you are?”

“Link.”

“Zelda.”

“Like the Princess?” 

“...Yes.” She hadn’t begun to think about how to reveal herself to the world. Impa would want to restore the Royal Family and Kingdom. But how? 

“Did you two see the bright light and monster?” Zelda had no clue what to tell her. She was the bright light, and Link defeated the monster. What should she say?

“The Light was Zelda, she just Sealed the Calamity.” Link simplified things. 

“...What?” Leekah looked at Link like he lost his mind. That really annoyed Zelda, he just saved her and she was looking at him affectionately and now she questioned him? She brought forth some of the Light of the Goddess very quickly to defend Link’s good name. Leekah gazed, dumbfounded by the pulsing orb of the Goddess’s grace. “You two are telling the truth…”

As they Neared the Stable Zelda was surprised at how few people were there. Only 5 people, one large Rito, and an adorable dog. 

One balding man ran forward, dog following close behind. “What happened? What was that Light?” 

“That was Zelda. The Calamity’s gone. She defeated it.” Link sounded so casual as he said it. Like it was nothing. Like defeating the Calamity was a challenge simple enough that it could be defeated in a threadbare shirt using a pot lid as a shield. 

“...What?” The man was understandably confused. 

“They’re telling the truth.” Leekah said, awed. 

They all looked at her like she had delivered them from evil. Technically she had, but Link deserved more credit. “Link, you need to-”

“Could you board my horse? Princess, I’ll get you some food!” Link interrupted her and ran off behind the stable. He never did that, just another reminder that he didn’t remember her.

Zelda dismounted the horse. “Would you kindly also get us a saddle?” 

“O-of c-coc-ourse, P-Princess! It’s just twenty rupees to saddle and board your horse.” He made a sloppy bow. That wasn’t good, she had no money.

“I’ll cover it Lawdon.” Leekah chimed in.

“Yolero! Izra! We got a horse!” The Stable Master shouted. “Does she… have a name?” He asked as he pulled out a slip of paper.

She was naming Link’s horse. What could she name her? It looked like Link’s horse from 100 years ago. There was only one name, and hopefully it would spark a memory. “Epona, her name’s Epona.” 

“Same name as the Horse of Legend. That… seems about right. That Shrine shoots out the ground, Calamity’s gone, the Fabled Princess defeated it, and the Horse of Legend is here.” Lawdon muttered. Zelda didn’t expect Link’s old horse to have become legendary.

Zelda dragged herself to the fire, and collapsed beside it, helping keep her warm in the chill night air. She looked around, saw the large Rito looking at her with wide eyes, and a small child with his mouth agape. Leekah took a spot beside her. 

“Soooo… What happened?”

What was she supposed to tell them? The Truth was absurd, but she didn’t want to lie to her people. She could leave out the absurd. “Link entered the Castle, fought his way through and fought the evil controlling it. He was… Incredible.” Zelda paused, as they all stared at her. Hanging on every word. She was not a storyteller. Why was she doing this, Link did all the work and he kept telling people that she did everything! “He keeps giving me credit for it, but he did all the work! He is being far too humble. He deserves most of the credit, but he only credits me.”

The large Rito chuckles at Zelda’s outburst. “I never thought that I would meet the Fabled Princess, or that she would be upset with her rescuer.”

“He needs to be less humble, give himself credit!” 

“Perhaps a song will put you at ease.  
_An ancient hero, a Calamity appears,  
Now resurrected after 10,000 years.  
Her appointed knight gives his life,  
Shields her figure, and pays the price.  
The princess's love for her fallen knight awakens her power  
And within the castle the Calamity is forced to cower.  
But the knight survived! In the Shrine of Resurrection he wakes,  
From his healing dream he leapt!  
For Fierce and deadly trials overcome.  
His strength returned. Fate, fulfilled.  
A hero rises once again!  
He liberated the princess from evil's den.  
The hero, the princess–hand in hand–  
Shall bring the light back to this land! _”__

__It was odd, the song was about her and Link, thankfully giving Link the credit he hasn’t been taking. The Rito himself had a great voice, and his skills with the accordion was impressive. She didn’t know what to say, it would be easier if Link were here. “That was a beautiful song, though I must admit it is a bit odd to hear songs about me and people I know. May I ask your name?”_ _

__“Kass, My Lady. Perhaps the Horse’s Lullaby?” Kass said as he played a few experimental notes._ _

__“Sorry for leaving you Princess.” Thank Hylia Link was back. Zelda turned to him, and he was carrying a boar, along with some other ingredients. “I’ll have a meal for you ready in a moment. I’ll make some for everyone!”_ _

__Link was talking. Zelda wondered if this was what Link was like before becoming a knight. When he became her personal guard, he was always silent. The burden of his position kept him silent. He was talking to some married couple he apparently rescued while collecting food, Tye and Sorelia. They were very cute._ _

__Zelda watched him cook, and felt relief. Link still knew how to cook. He started by setting some armoranth nearly into the fire with some berries and apples set a bit further away, the heat treating and cooking the plants. He cut into the boar, and started slicing the boar into proper steaks and removing the larger chunks of fat and grease. Link asked the child, Ami, to bring him a large pot. Zelda was no longer sure if the child was a boy or a girl. The armoranths cracked under the heat, Link quickly grabbing them before they could burn and put them into a large bowl. He cut up the apples and mashed the berries, mixing them into the bowl as he talked to the people around the fire._ _

__Ami returned with a pot, and Link quickly coated it with some of the boar's fat, as the grease turned to a liquid. Link quickly chopped up some big hearty radishes and put them in the cooking pot. He was talking to her. “-da! Zelda! Could you stir this?”_ _

__“Y-yes!” Zelda was shaken out of her dazed gaze. Link’s cooking was so hypnotic. Even though it was just radishes cooking they smelled incredible. Zelda felt her stomach rumble. She gently stirred the veggies, as Link added some common Hylian herbs with the mix of berries, apples, and armoranth. Link was explaining what he was doing, basically teaching the crowd that formed around them how to cook what he was preparing. He added honey and some water, mixing it in and creating a glaze. Zelda now understood what he was doing._ _

__She looked down at the radishes. It looked and smelled incredible, but she knew what Link was cooking. He cooked it before. She watched him slather the glaze over all of the meat he sliced up. It was beautiful, with a slightly reddish glaze coating the fresh meat. Link brought it over. “I’ll take over.”_ _

__Zelda passed the cooking utensils over, and Link grabbed them. He pushed the radishes to the side and set the meat down. Goddess, the smell. She couldn’t see anything, she couldn’t hear anything. It was only the incredible smell of wild boar, with the sweet glaze and fruits. She didn’t know how much longer it took, but she saw him pour the glaze over it, a sweet smell wafting over everything._ _

__Link was walking over, two plates and utensils in hand. She had no idea where the plates came from. Link sat beside her, plate in front of her. It was magnificent. Two thick, golden, glistening slices of pork, with the browned chopped radishes glistening from the glaze, sitting beside it. Zelda cut a piece of meat, and took a bite._ _

__She groaned. It was divine. This food was better than awakening the Power of the Goddess. She chewed it slowly, the sweet and savory flavors mixing like magic. Juice seeping out with each bite. She swallowed and it warmed her to the soul. “Thank you Link. That was the first thing I ate in over 100 years.”_ _

__She leaned into him, looking up as she gently placed a new piece in her mouth. She groaned again at the incredible flavor. It was so good, she felt like crying. “Sorry I couldn’t get any fruit cake.”_ _

__Zelda froze. Her heart raced. With so much missing, with Link being almost a different person, should she hope? She had to ask, “Why fruit cake?”_ _

__“It’s your favorite.” Link said, like it was a given. Like it was obvious._ _

__“How do you know that?” Zelda couldn’t hide her smile, even if she tried._ _

__Link paused. A look of confusion covering his face, in deep thought. “It’s…” Link was searching his head, Zelda could see it in his eyes, the light of the fire shining in his eyes. “...I know it’s your favorite?”_ _

__Better than the food, better than everything. He remembered something. He remembered her._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Please comment, I'll try to respond to them this time.

**Author's Note:**

> So, what do you think? Should I continue?


End file.
